Houston Astrodome memorabilia auctioned

HOUSTON | Eight red-and-black turnstiles once let crowds of people into the Houston Astrodome, the iconic sports stadium that now stands empty and dilapidated.

The Associated Press

HOUSTON | Eight red-and-black turnstiles once let crowds of people into the Houston Astrodome, the iconic sports stadium that now stands empty and dilapidated. On Saturday, Dave Warwick bought two of the beat-up, scratched pieces of metal for $4,100 a piece at a “yard sale” and auction. He said they brought back fond memories of when, as a sailor from Liverpool, England, he visited friends in 1966 and saw his first baseball game. “That’s the first entrance into the Astrodome. It’s the click. I just wanted them,” said Warwick, 71, who ended up moving to Houston in 1983 and now runs a shipping agency. He was one of more than 4,000 people who stood in line for hours inside the Reliant Center, the convention center adjacent to the now-closed stadium, to buy Astrodome memorabilia. The line twisted through the center and out the door. The sale and auction came just days before voters will decide whether to approve a referendum that would authorize up to $217 million in bonds to turn it into a giant convention center and exhibition space. Houston-area leaders have said the so-called “Eighth Wonder of the World,” once home to the MLB’s Houston Astros and the NFL’s Houston Oilers, will probably be torn down if the ballot measure fails to pass on Tuesday. For those looking for a cheap memento at the sale, a 12-by-12-inch piece of AstroTurf cost $20. It sold out before the sale ended. Seats went for $200 a pair, and after the in-person stock sold out Saturday, people could purchase seats that they can pick up in December. Larger items, including autographed lockers and dugout benches, were auctioned off. A locker autographed by beloved Houston Oilers running back Earl Campbell sold for $2,200. A sideline bench Campbell autographed sold for $1,800, and one autographed by former Oilers quarterback Dan Pastorini went for $650. Opened in 1965, the Astrodome was the world’s first multipurpose domed stadium. But no professional sports team has played there since 1999, and it’s been closed to all events since 2009.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.